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Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with a dairy-free ranch dipping sauce are loaded with all the flavors of one of our favorite Monday Night Football appetizers, but in a better-for-you option. These spicy bites are meatless and dairy free too! So what do you think my husband thought when I served these up for our game night feast?!

Normally he wouldn't be to keen on a chicken wing alternative, especially one that is completely meatless! When I told him we were taking the #MeatlessMondayNight challenge to start incorporating a more plant-based diet, he groaned "I think we should just do away with all days of the week that start with 'M'!" haha I explained how that wouldn't work, because we could just make it a Tofu Tuesday. He wasn't amused...When Monday night rolled around, I had these spicy little cauliflower bites ready and waiting for him when he walked in the door from work. As usual, Don is a good sport and will try anything I make, so he dug right in! I was in the other room when I heard, "WOW! If I didn't know better I'd think this was chicken!" SCORE!!

Don gobbled them right up and asked for more! #MeatlessMondayNight mission accomplished! He loved the homemade ranch dip I made too. Shhhhh I didn't tell him that it is dairy free. I figured I better not push my luck. Now, I need to run out and get more cauliflower, because these Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are going to be making a regular appearance on game days!

Scroll down past my photo tutorial to access the ingredients and directions all in one place, if you prefer. Thanks!Start this recipe by making the dairy-free ranch dip, that way it can chill in the refrigerator while the cauliflower bites are being prepared. The dip is very easy to make and can be mixed by hand. I recommend using fresh herbs for maximum flavor. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup Silk Soymilk, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill, 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh chives, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.TIP: Click here to find Silk products near you!

Whisk to combine. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Gently toss the cauliflower with the batter, being sure to coat the cauliflower thoroughly...

Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top of the foil. Generously spray the rack with cooking spray and place the coated cauliflower onto the rack, being sure to leave space between each one...

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to brown. While the cauliflower is baking, melt 3 tablespoons dairy-free butter and mix with 1 (5 ounce) bottle of cayenne pepper sauce and 1 tablespoon honey. Whisk to combine. Give it a taste and adjust the flavors to your liking.

When the cauliflower is ready, remove it from the oven and toss with the hot sauce mixture.

Spray the rack with cooking spray again and place the cauliflower back on the rack. Put back in the oven for 10 more minutes until browned to your liking. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a serving dish with the Dairy-Free Ranch Dip and enjoy!

Silk’s plant-based beverages and yogurt alternatives are extremely versatile in the kitchen and can be used to create delicious meat- and dairy-free versions of your go-to tailgating recipes like my Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. Click here to visit the Silk Sideline Meat website for more amazing recipes and tips, and enter for a chance to WIN the ULTIMATE Game Day Room Makeover!!

Place the coated cauliflower onto the prepared rack, being sure to leave space between each one. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to brown.

While the cauliflower is baking, melt 3 tablespoons dairy-free butter and mix with 1 (5 ounce) bottle of cayenne pepper sauce and 1 tablespoon honey. Whisk to combine. Give it a taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. When the cauliflower is ready, remove it from the oven and toss with the hot sauce mixture.

Spray the rack with cooking spray again and place the cauliflower back on the rack. Put back in the oven for 10 more minutes until browned to your liking. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a serving dish with the Dairy-Free Ranch Dip and enjoy!

Excellent use of the Silk Marion! So creative! I especially love that you batter-baked the cauliflower. I've never seek that, but I can imagineit gave the florets some texture before buffalo saucing them up. I love this recipe.

I haven't tried that, but I don't see why not. I imagine the only difference would be in the taste with the added nuttiness from the almond milk. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you! Thanks for the great question. Happy New Year :)

Last night I made buffalo cauliflower bites using part of your recipe (I used ranch dressing I had on hand, Franks Wing Sauce, and dairy milk rather than the Silk soy milk) so basically I used the batter and baking methods for the buffalo cauliflower. They turned out fantastic! I like that they weren't soggy and of course, the incredible flavor! We didn't finish all of them last night so I reheat the remaining in the oven for lunch today. They were still just as good reheated. :) When I have more time, I'd like to give your ranch dressing and homemade sauce a try as well. Thank you for the great recipe!

Many people do associate mayo with dairy, however it is eggs, oil, & vinegar. No dairy. The recipe is meat free, but if you would like this to be vegan, then by all means use a substitute :) I hope that helps ~Marion

I have not tried that and having not worked with cassava flour it is hard for me to give you a good answer. The flour acts as a coating in this recipe to help hold the hot sauce better and also to crisp them up a little better. I don't know how cassava flour would perform. I'm sorry I'm not much help, but please let me know how it works if you give it a try. Thanks so much!

I have made a similar recipe using cassava flour and it works well. Since it is such a starchy flour, cut the liquid in half and add more as needed to make it a batter. It will thin out quickly. I've also used garbanzo bean flour, which works really well too, though not paleo, it would be grain free, and also adds a nice bit of protein. A combination of garbanzo and cassava works well too!

I have made this with regular milk just as I did with the soy milk. It might be that your flour was not completely combined with the milk. It does take a bit of whisking to incorporate enough for it to thicken. I hope that helps :)

I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I used Frank's red hot sauce which I chose to dilute a bit more with another tablespoon of vegan butter. Also, I added 5 minutes to the initial baking time and 5 minutes more to the bake time after having added the buffalo sauce. And may I just say that this non dairy ranch dressing is that absolute BEST. It was amazing I was so impressed with myself after making it Lol Word of Advice; invest in one of those sheet racks the author uses in her pictures. It makes a world of difference when it comes time to take your freshly battered cauliflower from the baking sheet. Anyways, This recipe is definitely going into my arsenal. Thank you so much!

I made these with using almond milk. The sauce was WAY TOO HOT. So sad bc it was time consuming and I was pretty excited that they would taste good. The texture is nice.Next time, I'll make homemade BBQ sauce.

Carolyn, I'm sorry the sauce was too hot for you. This is the first time I've had someone mention it being too hot. It is usually more of a sweet heat with the added honey. Did you make sure to mix the hot sauce with the butter and honey and taste it first before tossing it with the cauliflower? I always recommend tasting first and adjust the flavors as needed. If you add more honey and butter it will cut through the heat for you. I hope that helps! ~Marion

Hello, this recipe looks so delicious! Thank you for sharing. I can't wait to try it out!! I actually shared this recipe here http://www.meshkomoments.com/healthy-football-game-food/ in my list of Healthy Football Game Food Ideas!! :)

Sharing this recipe (and my version) on my blog Monday. My recipe went off the rails. Did you see the Friends' episode where Rachel prepares an English Trifle and ends up with Shepherd's Pie? Yep! Linked to you for the original recipe! Enjoy the laugh... https://notatrophywife.com happy friday laura

Thank you so much for visiting and sharing your thoughts! Comments are moderated, so I don't miss anything. I like to read each and every one! Please understand I am not able to allow comments with links. Thanks! I hope it's a great day!! ~Marion

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